Leading astronomers in the United Arab Emirates have issued important guidance surrounding the beginning of Eid Al Adha.

Slated to be the longest public holiday of 2026, Eid Al Adha is due to arrive at the end of May and provide a bumper long weekend.

Eid Al Adha is one of the two major festivals for Muslims. The festival of Eid Al Adha marks the conclusion of the pilgrimage to Mecca.

The United Arab Emirates celebrates a mix of holidays, with some relying on the Islamic Hijri calendar to determine the exact date and others tied to the Gregorian calendar.

The Islamic Hijri calendar relies on cycles of the moon, unlike the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the sun.

And Eid Al Adha is one of several public holidays that are determined by a moon sighting, with confirmation not coming until we know exactly when Dhu Al Hijjah begins in the Islamic calendar.

The celebration of Eid Al Adha falls on the ninth day of the Islamic Hijri month of Dhu Al Hijjah every year.

However, when it comes to determining the dates of public holidays in the United Arab Emirates, Eid Al Adha is an official four-day public holiday starting with Arafat Day on the eighth day of Dhu Al Hijjah.

According to Ibrahim Al-Jarwan, Chairman of the Board of the Emirates Astronomical Association, Dhu Al Hijjah will likely begin on Monday May 18.

This means that the public holiday is likely to begin on Tuesday May 26, providing an official four-day holiday. However, when combined with the weekend, the official four day holiday becomes a six-day break.

It should be noted that this is still just a prediction, with the public holiday only due to be confirmed on the final day of the 11th month of the Islamic calendar Dhu Al Qa’dah.

Dhu Al Qa’dah is most likely to begin on Sunday April 19 in the UAE, according to the General Authority of Islamic Affairs Endowments and Zakat. And, if current predictions are correct, then Dhu Al Qa’Dah is predicted to be a 29-day month.